Arrow Film’s dedication to bringing us the definitive Ultra HD library of Clive Barker films reaches an interesting and inevitable point. After serving up limited edition sets of Candyman, the Hellraiser Tetralogy and most recently Nightbreed, the writer’s first brush with film is the ideal warm-up for an autumn of horror.
Barker collaborated with director George Pavlou to develop the story and co-write the screenplay for 1985’s Underworld before the publication of his horror anthology, ‘Books of Blood’. After those short stories emerged to a rapturous reception, earning him a notorious quote of recommendation from Stephen King, Barker’s silver screen future was assured. The question 40 years later is whether it’s worth anyone other than completists picking up his first attempt.
Those familiar with Barker’s work will find a lot they recognise in the underworld of the title, and the criminal activities that force it into the streets above. It’s below that a collective of humans live, mutated by their dependency on a drug developed by the deranged Dr Savary (Denholm Elliott). The hallucinogenic lactothiozine triggers monumental dreams, even the possibility of manifesting them, but also grotesque disfigurement. The answer seems to be a local prostitute, Nicole, also addicted to the drug, but seemingly immune to the physical side effects. When the underworlders abduct her, Dr Savary’s mob boss Motherskille (Steven Berkoff) has no choice but to call in Nicole’s former lover, a reluctant Roy Bain (Larry Lamb).
Underworld flashes with some old and contemporary influences —a dash of Lovecraft’s Herbert West–Reanimator here and a sprinkle of Cronenbergian body horror there. Dario Argento has been cited too—it’s easy to see the heady distortion of a film like Suspiria (1977) or Inferno (1980) snaking through the scenes. This 4K presentation is stunningly 1980s; it shows off a perfect mid-decade movie event horizon that threatens to suck all the heavy make-up, swirling blue light, hazy orange sun, and white flares catching on cobwebs from every film released around it.
In the swirl, Barker delivers a Pinteresque script, helped by the cast’s tough London accents, particularly Lamb and Berkoff. It’s an effective way to tell a skewed detective story, and without verbal flowers, some broad performances stay in check (particularly Berkoff and a dapper psycho played by Art Malik). Filmed almost entirely in Limehouse, it’s an evocative setting. However, the gangster elements—the climax includes a set-piece Tommy gun takedown—keep some of the most Barkerian themes at arm’s length, even as they shimmer unmistakably underneath.
Truth be told, Pavlou is not the greatest interpreter of Barker’s works, particularly in his ability to visualise the writer’s imagination. The special effects at the end are simultaneously irresistible and disappointingly hokey. A year later, he’d adapt Barker’s short story Rawhead Rex—taken from a short story in ‘The Books of Blood’—with similar problems, although it’s best not to discuss that film until it smashes onto 4K (c’mon Arrow!).
That said, buoyed by the collaborative learning experience, Barker would soon adapt his novella ‘The Hellbound Heart’ into a film that would change horror in a slasher-soaked decade (not least thanks to phenomenal visuals and special effects). Underworld never stood a chance of doing what Hellraiser would do, but it’s a clear stepping stone. The seeds of many Barker moments to come are clearly sprouting in Underworld: The proto-Nightbreed hidden underground; the merging of dreams and reality he’d explore in vast detail in books like ‘Imajica’; the noir detective he’d later adapt to screen with Lord of Illusions’ Harry D’Amour; the corrupted doctors that would stalk both Nightbreed and the Hellraiser franchise.
Despite many of these emerging as half-dreams of what might be, Underworld just about has appeal for horror fans at large. There’s a simple noirish yarn in there, between the mad science, grotesque and garish decisions. Dedicated fans, however, will want to snap up the limited edition exclusives. Alongside insightful features that help build out the Barker library, including a 16-minute chat with Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser’s Chatterer), the set’s second Blu-ray disc includes a new cut. Taking the name Underworld is known by in the United States, the Transmutations cut incorporates additional and alternative footage. While these don’t dramatically alter the plot, the additional 11 minutes extend several scenes and boost the atmosphere of messy ’80s indulgence.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition Special Features
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Heather Vaughan
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Daniel Burnett
Disc One – Underworld (4K)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless English 2.0 stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary by director George Pavlou, moderated by Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA
- Wild Recrimination, a brand new interview with director of photography Syd Macartney
- Becoming ‘Darling’, a brand new interview with actor Brian Croucher
- No Limits, a brand new interview with long-term collaborator Nicholas Vince discussing his experiences working with, and the enduring legacy of, Clive Barker
- Makeup Tests and Clive Barker Designs
- Storyboards
- US Trailer
- Artwork and Stills
- Image gallery, from the archives of Phil & Sarah Stokes
Disc Two – Transmutations (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation (contains standard definition inserts)
- Original lossless English 2.0 stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Underworld is released on Limited Edition 4K by Arrow Video on 7 September.
